Sky Sword I

The Sky Sword 1 (Chinese: 天劍一, Tien Chien I), or TC-1, is a short range infrared guided air-to-air missile. The missile has fire and forget slave-by-radar capabilities. It consists of an imaging infrared seeker, a high explosive warhead, a solid propellant motor and a guidance control unit.[1] The seeker uses dual spectral IR and has a detection range of 18.5km.[2] The Sky Sword 1 is also used as a surface-to-air missile by the Antelope air defence system.[3][4]

For the medium-range missile, see Sky Sword II.
ROCAF F-CK-1A at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base with a TC-1 on the wingtip
TC-1 Sky Sword I (air-to-air)

Development

The Sky Sword 1 was developed in the mid-1980s and revealed in May 1986, as Taiwan's first indigenous air-to-air missile.[5] The production of the missile started in 1991 and the air-to-air version entered ROCAF service in 1993. It bears a striking similarity to the American AIM-9 (also in Taiwanese service) and fulfills a similar role on the Indigenous Defense Fighter to the AIM-9 on the F-16. In 2017 NCSIST exhibited a variant of the TC-1 with a larger diameter motor.[6]

Service history

TC-1 missiles were employed during a 2019 training exercise off Taiwan’s east coast.[7]

Variants

TC-1L
Antelope air defense system

The TC-1L is a ground-launched variant for use with the Antelope air defence system.[8]

Sea TC-1

Developed for use with the Sea Oryx system, the Sea TC-1 variant has an improved seeker, data-link, and rocket motor.[9]

See also

Similar weapons

References
  1. "NCSIST". www.ncsist.org.tw. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  2. "IR Seeker (Sky Sword I)". cmano-db.com. CMANO. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  3. http://missiledefenseadvocacy.org/air-defense/air-defense-of-u-s-partners/allied-air-defense-systems/the-antelope/
  4. https://www.armyrecognition.com/taiwan_taiwanese_missile_vehicle_system_uk/antelope_tien_chien_1_tc-1_surface-to-air_defense_missile_system_technical_data_sheet_specifications.html
  5. Jane's Weapon Systems. F. Watts. 1987.
  6. Cheng Jiawen, Hong Zhe Zhengyi. "國造海劍羚艦對空飛彈 預計111年服役". udn.com. UDN. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  7. Evelyn Kao, Matt Yu and. "Taiwan holds live-fire drill along east coast". focustaiwan.tw. Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  8. "Antelope Air Defense System". www.ncsist.org.tw. National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  9. Minnick, Wendell. "Taiwan Defense Show Exhibits New Weapons". www.defensenews.com. Defense News. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
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